New York state leaders are speaking out following reports that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is planning on equipping its Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers with gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks by March.
“That appears to me on its face to be a violation of civil rights to cause that type of physical harm to an individual regardless of what the offense may be,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul at an immigration press conference in New York City Wednesday.
The event was held to announce $7.25 million in funding to pay for the legal services of unaccompanied minors in the state of New York following the Trump administration’s decision to allow an annual federal contract that paid for the services to expire on July 31, 2026.
According to DHS’s website, the department is considering spending up to $20 million on the G.L.O.V.E., which stands for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter. It’s made by the Kentucky company called Compliant Technologies, as first reported by the Associated Press.
Compliant Technologies tells Spectrum News 1 it’s “unable to comment at this time.”
State Attorney General Letitia James says New York is currently “reviewing” DHS’s proposal.
“It appears to be in violation of a number of laws including our Constitution, [and] the Administrative Procedure Act,” said James.
James vowed to take legal action if a New Yorker is hurt by an ICE agent wearing the gloves.
“You can be rest assured of that,” she said.
Hochul maintains recent immigration protections approved in the state budget in May will protect individuals’ rights.
The legislation bans law enforcement from wearing masks, blocks ICE from entering sensitive places like schools and churches without a warrant and restricts local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration agents.
“I would anticipate that the new protections that we just enacted in the law, brand new, that says you cannot trample on someone’s constitutional rights, you cannot cause them undue harm, and you will be held accountable should be in effect here,” said Hochul.
Molly Biklen, the legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, calls the gloves “torture devices.”
“ICE is a rogue agency that disregards the law, engages in violence, and has too often used excessive force, resulting in devastating, and at times fatal, consequences for citizens and noncitizens alike,” said Biklen. “Putting these torture devices quite literally at ICE’s fingertips will make it easy for officers to deliver terrible pain with zero accountability. It’s a recipe for disaster.”
When reached for comment, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security tells Spectrum News 1: “ICE is constantly assessing the needs of our officers in the field to ensure they have the tools and equipment necessary to safely arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens from our country. Every decision is made with careful consideration and appropriately reviewed to ensure that any technology ICE utilizes is consistent with all applicable law enforcement policies and standards. Our officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive ongoing use of force training. The latest ICE use of force policy is available here. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, ICE is targeting the worst of the worst. Since Day One, ICE law enforcement has been delivering on President Trump’s promise to the American people to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists. Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of dangerous illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. While ICE law enforcement works to remove these public safety threats from American communities, they’re also facing a 1,300% increase in assaults, a 3,300% increase in vehicle attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats.”